Advertisement

German word of the day: Nuscheln

Rebecca Spiess
Rebecca Spiess - [email protected]
German word of the day: Nuscheln
The late Volkswagen executive Ferdinand Piëch says something in a whisper tone (Nuschelnd) to his wife in 2009. Photo: DPA

If you're having trouble understanding the everyday German you hear spoken on the streets, this may be the culprit.

Advertisement

Today's word describes something we've all done before: muttering. I am often guilty of this, especially when speaking German under high-stress situations.

I'll start to murmur or speak in a lower voice, inadvertently prompting others to ask me to stop with the "Nuscheln." Germans typically say this when someone is speaking in a way that is hard to understand. 

The word has roots in the German word for nose (Nase) and originally referred to someone speaking in a nasal manner, or through the nose (Näseln).

Now it can apply to anyone who is speaking in an unintelligible way, whether they are speaking nasally or simply not enunciating. 

But luckily I'm not the only marble-mouthed one out there. Germany boasts such a large variety of dialects, accents and mannerisms that we could all use a reminder to speak a little more clearly. 

The late VW executive Ferdinand Piëch says something in a whisper tone (Nuschelnd) to his wife Ursula.

READ ALSO: Grüß gott, Moin, Hallo: The complete guide to regional dialects around Germany

Examples:

"Hör auf zu nuscheln! Ich verstehe nichts!"

"Stop mumbling! I can't understand you!"

"Der Moderator nuschelte die ganze Zeit. Ich weiß nicht einmal, wer gewonnen hat." 

"The presenter was muttering the whole time. I don't even know who won." 

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also